• Arts Work Fund was awarded a $1,500,000 grant to this funding collaborative to support the Thrive grant program, which provides three-year unrestricted grants to Chicago area arts organizations that serve BILPOC communities, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities.
  
  
• Better Government Association was awarded a $1,434,000 grant to establish a new statewide investigative and solutions reporting initiative that embeds investigative reporters in local newsrooms in Illinois cities outside of Chicago including Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, and Champaign.
  
  
• Friends of Sears Sunken Garden received a $1,000,000 grant for restoration of the historic pergola and developing final plans for the Sears Sunken Garden in Chicago’s North Lawndale community.
  
  
• Institute of Classical Architecture & Art received a $2,000,000 grant establishing the Richard H. Driehaus Curricula for the Built Environment Endowment Fund that supports the expansion of the organization’s educational programs.
  
  
• Landmarks Illinois was awarded a $1,000,000 grant to support the organization’s Reinvestment Loan Fund, a revolving loan pool providing low interest loans for preservation and rehabilitation of existing buildings in Chicago neighborhoods, especially those in communities underserved by traditional financial institutions.
  
  
• Preservation Chicago received a $2,300,000 grant to establish the Richard H. Driehaus Endowment Fund to support the long-term sustainability of the organization.
  
  
• ProPublica received a $733,000 grant to create a dedicated Illinois urban affairs beat and an investigative editor training bootcamp for BILPOC editors in Chicago.
  
  
• University of Chicago received a $500,000 grant to restore and repair the stained glass in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel’s grand south window.

Driehaus Foundation Grants Strengthen Local News Across Illinois
https://driehausfoundation.org...

Local newspapers are closing at a pace of about two per week, adding to more than 360 lost since the start of the pandemic. In addition to creating public information gaps, research indicates the collapse of local news is leading to greater polarization, costlier government, and deeper public distrust.

New grants to the Better Government Association, ProPublica, and Report for America are strengthening news reporting in cities across Illinois and building on the Foundation's longstanding commitment to accountability-focused journalism in the public interest.

Leading the Way to an Equitable and Sustainable Food System
https://driehausfoundation.org...

COVID exposed and increased gaps in food market availability, particularly in Chicago’s under-resourced communities. Fresh and healthy food from Chicago’s urban farmers point to the advantages of a hyper-local food economy and the need for greater food sovereignty.

The Community Food Navigator app connects, supports, and amplifies the efforts of those working to make our regional food system equitable, sustainable, and community driven.

Understanding New Realities for Theater in (and Beyond) Chicago
https://driehausfoundation.org...

In 2023, public conversations regarding nonprofit performing arts organizations were as high in stakes and as emotionally charged as any theater season’s must-see new play. Artists and arts administrators, advocates, audience members, designers, researchers, students, writers, and other stakeholders weighed in vigorously on the state of theater, described by some as experiencing the most severe crisis in its history.

Integrating Self-Care Plans into Nonprofit Structures
https://driehausfoundation.org...

What do wellness and self-care mean to you? Incorporating self-care into our daily lives is sustainable and has long-term benefits. “But how do we do this?” has become a central topic of discussion for nonprofit organizations.